FREE RAILWAY PASSES

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 33, 17 August 1905, Page 6

FREE RAILWAY PASSES

CHILDREN ATTENDINQ CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

In the House of Representatives .on Wednesday (says the i New Zealand Times ') tfeie Government replied to a question by Mr. Fisher, asking whether the attention of" the Minister for Railways had been drawn to the following resolution passed by the Council of C hurches :— ' It is reported that the childreh of certain Roman Catholic residents in a suburb of one of our cities are carried to school by the Go\ eminent railway free of charge, whereas the children of Protestants have to pay their way.' The Minister for Railways addressed the question to the general manager, and received a reply from his department stating that the practice was one which had Lecn followed by the Railway - Department for fche'past nineteen years-. The privilege granted to the Catholic children in this respect is, moreover, extended to the children of members of the community who are of Protestant persuasion in cases where they desire to- send their children to private instead of to State schools. When the regulation governing the issue of free school tickets was. first gazetted it applied only to the children up to fifteen years of age who attended the State schools for primary education, and those members of the community who desired to send their children to private schools for primary education had to pay the ordinary school fee of 10s per quarter for the tickets necessary to enable the children to travel by train. After explaining very minutely the alterations in the regulations 'which had been gazetted from time to time, the general manager pointed out that it would appear that the Rev. Mr. Blamires (who brought tbe matter up at the meeting of the Council of Churches') had endeavored to show that a differentiation was beini? ma'do in fa,Vor of Roman Catholic children. Such ». conclusion was incorrect and opposed to facts, which could have- been ascertained by the most casual inquiry . The facilities which are granted to the children of-Catlv-olic parents in resjwet to primary education are gorerned by the regulations, which are applied ■ impartially to the children of all members of the community. 1m show the abeuTdity of the contention that Catholic chi* • dren » aie being favored in respect to the regulations, h* had taken out the number of free school tickets issued by the Railway Department for the year ending March 31, 1905. The particulars showed :— To children attending Government schools for primary education ... ... ... ... 4562 To children, attending Government schools for secondary education ... ... ... ... 4441) To pupils attending manual and technical instruction ••• .... .- 1100 To pupils attending private schools for primary education (other than Catholic) ... ... 100 To pupils attending Catholic schools for primary education . . ... ... 2 05r> It was stated, in conclusion, by the General Manager that the existing regulation governing the issue ol free school tickets to the children of all members of t<he community had been in operation since 1889, and it was interpreted in its broadest sense by the Railway Department alone. The children of every member of the community are given all the benefits they are entitled to under the regulation without respect to their denomination.